Zarc's complete guide to Midrange Growth

Zarc's complete guide to Midrange Growth

Midrange Growth is a creature focused deck that wins through pure brute force. It employs large amounts of relentless to clear the board of opposition and is supported by haste creatures and beast tokens, who protect the heavy hitters and become big threats in their own right with the aid of damage increase and countdown reduction scrolls. This guide will teach you the ins and outs of this deck, what scrolls are in it, how to play it and how to customize it.

For reference. Here is a screenshot of the deck

You can also use the black market in game to look over individual scrolls if needed.

Deck Breakdown

Knowing the tools in your toolbox is essential when formulating a strategy in a battle. Therefore this part will break down every scroll in the deck from lowest to highest cost.

Ragged Wolf
This scroll's role is to add damage where needed or sniping exposed 1-health units. Especially good with a great wolf on the field.

Kinfolk Brave
Growth loves its early aggression. This scroll steamrolls any early creature-based opposition and is a decent threat in the midgame as well. Just be careful around decks that run a lot of removal. He is a little bit squishy.

Nog Nest
Used either as a wall or as a straw man to draw early aggression away from the middle. Against decks that are more passive it is used to generate great value board presence. Takes priority over brave against decay decks as decay is notoriously bad at dealing with structures.

Outcast Rebel
Not the best early game creature, but he is effective as a midgame threat to take out those meaty 4 health blockers. He also becomes a lot better when you have access to countdown reduction scrolls like Rallying and God Hand.

Vengefull Vaettr
If you can get this creature to hit an idol early on you're golden. Can also be dropped at any time as a distraction for your opponent, since they will be frantic to kill it before it gives you free resources.

Crimson Bull
This scroll's main purpose is to give your attacking creatures that extra "omph" needed to punch through a sturdy defense.

Earthborn Mystic
Best 3 cost creature that growth has to offer. Earthborn mystic lets you have easy access to damage buffs or just be sacrifice fodder if you need it.

Ancestral Totem
Place it in a defendable location and let it give you value over time. This card really shines when used with hasted units or token units and is very effective against factions with little direct removal.

Brother Of The Wolf
He seems rather "meh" at a glance, but there are a few hidden interactions that make him very good.
1: if you move him, then spawn a wolf, then move the wolf. The scrolls effectively has a 3 tile attack range which is more than any creature in the game.
2: He can use his ability more than once per turn, which means that if you play cd reduction after spawning a wolf, you get to either attack or spawn another wolf.

Striped Fangbear
Scrolls has so many humans in it that the drawback to this is scroll is rarely felt. Excellent 4/4 body that can threaten row clears with damage buffs.

Earthen Mirth
Nothing says "I want this dead" like giving an attacking creature +4 attack. You should prioritize putting this on relentless creatures, But don't hesitate to put it on a ragged wolf or a token beast if you have to.

Rat King
There is great value in putting a wall of meat between your key creatures and the enemy. It's also important to keep the value through God Hand in mind.

Great Wolf
If you play your cards right then this creature should have about 6-7 attack in the later stages of the game. Even without supporting wolves it's still a sturdy creature that the opponent must approach with caution.

Kinfolk Veteran
Bigger ragged wolf. Same role but also adds a lot of value in the long term since a 3/2/3 is nothing to sneeze at.

Rallying
Rather straight forward in its use. Everything attacks and preferably kills the opponent's stuff in the process. Can be used with Earthborn mystic or brother of the wolf for extra value.

Gusty Izulur
Big scary endgame creature that can threaten the entire board with the aid of rallying and god hand. Is also great at pressuring/sniping idols.

Kinfolk Jarl
Your opponent literally cannot approach this guy. If they do, they are asking for a lane wipe. His primary function is to solidify your hold on the game and eliminate any chance the opponent would have of coming back.

God hand
This single scroll is what makes your opponent hesitate to expose himself. One misstep and you will be there with this scroll to punish it. Use it as a finisher or as a way to deeply hurt or destroy the enemy ranks.

Mulligan and Strategy

We now know the deck and the purpose of each scroll in it. However, our work is not done. Now we must take into account the different matchups and our general game plan against them.

Against Order
You are an impending flood that will sweep away all of order's forces with ease. That is, should you be given the chance. Order possesses many powerful blockers that are effective at stemming the tide of your aggression. It is of utmost importance that you get rid of these units. If you don't, order will sit behind them and pick your army apart.

Against Decay
Decay will seek to grind you down through a mix of removal, cheap chump block and units that benefit from the death of said chump block. Be cautious when playing 2 health creatures in the opening turns as a soul steal will kill your tempo. Get a big relentless unit and start picking apart the board.

Against Energy
Energy has great Area of Effect removal. Spreading out your forces is recommended and often required. Take care that you don't compromise your own lines though. Get out early and start pressuring before the opponent can access his most powerful spells.

mulligan
1. Early creatures (see the pattern yet?)
2. 4 Health units (burn is a massive pain in the butt)

Against Growth
This matchup is very volatile. If you can clear the opponent's board, you usually win. Focus on opponent relentless while developing your own. Get up to kinfolk jarl and god hand to close it out and always keep an eye out for rallying.

Deck counters

You have your counters against every faction, but every faction also runs counters to you. Here you will find a list of scrolls that force you to deviate from your normal plans until they're gone.

Order

Gallant Defender/Wings Shield/Waking Stones: The unholy triforce of armor. These scrolls take the bit from your attack and leaves you open for a counter.

Ducal/Royal Skirmisher: These two soldiers would not be so intimidating if order did not possess so much board manipulation. These 2 can and will wipe your lanes if you give them the chance

Reloras Lord Knight: Makes order straight up broken if left to his own devices. Kill him as soon as you possibly can.

Decay

Harvester: As growth, you want to kill your opponent's board. You cannot do that when this scroll is present. If you can't deal with it then try to minimize the damage you receive from it by spreading out units.

Soul Steal: Nothing kills your early game more than this scroll coming down on a 2-health creature. You can't avoid dropping 2 health creatures altogether though so it's just a bullet you have to bite.

Witch Doctor: There is nothing worse than wasting your attacks on free husks. The only way you're going to break through to him is if you get a large relentless attack off against him.

Energy

Storm Runner/Cannonetta + machinated: Never a dull moment goes by when these creatures constantly threaten massive amounts of burst damage. Needless to say you should remove these quickly.

Thunder Surge + Sudden Eruption: This dazzling duo of terror is out to ruin your day. You can play around thunder surge by splitting your units. But sudden eruption will do it's damage regardless of what you do.

Potion Of Resistance: Attacking any unit with this enchantment is usually a waste of time. Better to avoid it and wait for it to run out.

Lockling Brood: this deck does not run many targeted spells or enchantment. In fact, it only runs one. Lockling brood will always trade 1 for 1 in the best scenario and in the worst it will kill your entire board.

Growth

Binding Root: Your big scary relentless creatures are a lot less scary when they can't move.

Opponent going first and dropping turn 2 brave: In most cases i would count this as an instant loss unless you go full god mode.

Customization options

I'm not self-assured enough to proclaim this deck perfect and without room for improvement. There are of course many other scrolls that could fit in the deck. I'll list a few of my top contenders here.

Mangy Wolf
If you want to get maximum value out of your wolves then this scroll makes them so much scarier.

Terenne Brute With the amount of creature spam, this deck supports. This scroll might as well have 2 countdown which makes it a pretty good deal for 3 growth.

Wetland Ranger
You cannot really go wrong with this scroll. Very good value if you can consistently hit idols. Not that effective versus a loaded board though.

Binding Root
Good for the same reasons as those listed in the previous section.

Outro

This brings us to the end of the deck guide. I hope it has offered good insight into how Midrange growth operates. This deck is very consistent and can be played to the very top at the ladder if you are good enough with it.